Will Chris Harrison return to 'The Bachelor'? ABC clears speculations amid fear of falling popularity
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: There have been rumors on the internet that Chris Harrison is returning to 'The Bachelor' franchise. But, is it really true? Harrison permanently exited ABC's reality dating series after supporting one of the cast members' past racist behavior. The announcement of Harrison's departure came in 2021.
Jesse Palmer took over the duties as Harrison departed from the show. But as of now, there has been a rumor circling whether Harrison will once be brought back to the screen. Does this mean Palmer will be moved out as the host? Well, ABC cleared the doubt by stating whether it wants to bring back the old host or not. Keep reading to know.
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Will ABC bring back Chris Harrison to 'The Bachelor'?
According to the reports of DailyMail, ABC denied the rumor that it is considering to re-hire Harrison as the host of the dating show. Ever since the rumor of Harrison circled around the web, Bachelor Nation fans wondered whether Harrison would like to return to the franchise after the way he was tossed out. However, an insider told Radar Online that the "network is considering bringing back the ousted host." Moreover, the source claimed that Harrison may soon replace the new host Palmer. Harrison served the franchise for 19 years. He made his exit official in 2021 with a $10 million payout. According to the outlet, the streaming platform is considering bringing back Harrison after seeing the constant fall 'Of the bachelor's rating.
ABC scared of 'The Bachelor' falling rating
The outlet reports, "ABC executives fear 'The Bachelor', because of its significantly falling popularity among the public. "Everyone is aware The Bachelor is on life support," a source said. The last two seasons where Harrison was the host drew 6.07 million and 5.23 million viewers. However, the numbers have now been slashed down to half. With Palmer hosting, the dating show has attracted under 3 million viewers. 'The Bachelor' Season 27 is reported to have drew only 2.96 million viewers, down from 3.54 million in Clayton Echard's season. Amid declining viewership, ABC might overlook the racial controversy and bring back Harrison on the screen.
Why was Chris Harrison ruled out of 'The Bachelor'?
The racial scandal erupted after Harrison publicly defended Rachael Kirkconnell. An old picture of the contestant attending a plantation-themed bash in college emerged on social media as she was there on the show. There were also talks on the internet that the star liked and shared social media posts featuring the confederate flag. Taking Kirkconnell's side, Harrison defended her, asking viewers to have "compassion" for her. When Rachel Lindsay slammed Kirkconnell's photo and said, "not a good look," Harrison took Kirkconnell's side and said, "Well, Rachel, is it a good look in 2018? Or is it not a good look in 2021? Because there's a big difference."
Furthermore, the host said, "Who is Rachel Lindsay, and who is Chris Harrison, and who is whatever woke police person out there, who are you?" The racism scandal took no time to catch up with the heat. The stress of the public ordeal took a harsh toll on Harrison. Therefore, he announced his departure from the show.
Let us further wait to see whether ABC will bring back Harrison on the screen or try any other method to hike the viewership.
The new episodes of 'The Bachelor' Season 27 release every Monday at 8 pm ET on ABC.